Love Bites
by Toby Danger
Summary: Love can be as unusual as the couples who share it. And they don't come more unusual than the students of Monster High. A series of short stories, each focused on a certain couple. Two new stories! Story 2: Frankie and Andy: A Game of Two Halves, and Story 3: Clawdeen and Catrine: You're the Inspiration.
1. The Maintainence of Love

Love Bites

By Toby Danger

Monster High is copyright of Mattel. All other characters mentioned are copyright of their original creators

This will be a series of short fanfics, each one based on a certain Monster High couple. There will be various canon and non-canon couples featured. I'm planning for each story to be a little different from the romance stories we see so often in Monster High's webisodes and other media. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Draculaura and Clawd: The Maintenance of Love

_In which Draculaura reveals a hidden talent, and Clawd appreciates looking after the important things_

* * *

As he drove up the driveway leading to Draculaura's mansion, Clawd heard a very loud, ominous 'thud' noise somewhere within his car. A few seconds later, steam was rising from under the hood, and the car slowed to a crawl before coming to a stop several meters before the house.

"Dammit!" He thumped the steering wheel angrily, before stepping out and pulling open the hood. A plume of smoke wafted out, obscuring his vision.

Unable to see what was wrong, he growled and kicked the tire. The car - A 1982 Feard MusThing - had been a gift from his older brother Howlard, given to him when Howlard had left Salem to start a new career. He'd always admired the classic car as a kid, even if it had been a bit beaten up when Howlard had first bought it, and getting to own it had been a dream come true. But looking at it now, he was beginning to realize why Howlard had been so happy to hand it off. The car had broken down four times in the last couple of years, and the cost of calling out a guy to come out and fix it seemed to keep getting more expensive.

And it was awful timing as well. He'd been planning to pick up Draculaura, and together they would drive down to Casket Slough nature reserve for a romantic day trip through the forest. Now it looked like they would have make the long drive up in Laura's roadster. Clawd winced. As nice as Laura's car was, it wasn't really built for a monster his size.

"Hey sweetie!" He turned to see Laura bouncing toward him, her trusty parasol in one hand, a picnic casket in the other. She stepped up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Are we ready to go?"

"Uh, I got bad news." Clawd frowned, embarrassed. "My car just went kaput again. Is it okay if we take yours?"

Laura looked at the MusThing with wide eyes. "Oh my... oh, you're not going to believe this, but my car's out of action too."

"Yours too?" Clawd blinked. "You only got it last year, didn't you?"

"Oh, it's not broken down or anything." Laura put down the casket. "I was rotating the tires yesterday when I noticed one of the inner rims were badly slashed from hitting a speed bump. And then I realized the battery was on its last legs, so I had to order a new one as well as two new tires from the garage, and they won't be here until tomorrow..."

She stopped when she noticed Clawd's wide-eyed look. "What?"

"Are... you actually talking about fixing up your car?"

"Yes, that's what I was doing before I got ready for today."

Clawd blinked. "Seriously?"

Laura frowned. "Yes. What, you don't think a ghoul can fix up a car?"

"No no, I know ghouls can fix cars just fine." Clawd held up his hands. "I just didn't think you knew how to."

Laura rolled her eyes. "Honestly. Just because I act a little airheaded at times doesn't mean I'm a complete moron."

"Okay, I'm sorry." Clawd apologized. "This is just surprising, that's all. You've never mentioned you like cars before."

"I don't _like_, like them but..." Laura froze, a wide grin suddenly appearing. "Ooh! I know! We should fix your car!"

She stepped past Clawd and looked over the MusThing. "It's still got four wheels. All we have to do is get the engine running again. I have a few spare parts in my father's garage. It shouldn't take too long, and we can still make it to the nature reserve."

"You really want to?" Clawd asked, still a bit incredulous.

"Sure. It'll prove to you that I know what I'm doing." Laura replied, glancing at the car. "And it looks like it really needs some help."

"I think it needs a miracle.." Clawd sighed, joining her as they looked under the open hood.

"Oh my ghoul..." Laura gasped as she studied the engine,a look of disgust on her face as she stared at the built up grime. "What did you do to this poor thing?"

"I think it's more what I didn't do." Clawd said. "I haven't got a lot of time or money to spend on maintenance."

Laura nodded. "Come on, lets push it nearer to the garage. It'll be easier to work on there."

Together they pushed the car to the rear of the mansion, where a large stone garage stood, it's doors wide open. As he brought the car to a stop, Clawd could see the garage and the cars parked inside it, most likely belonging to her parents. There was an executive looking hearse, a vintage 1930 Rolls Royce with a license plate reading NOS 4R2, and Laura's black and pink Goresche roadster, which was parked on a jack with its front wheels missing.

He turned back to his own car. "So, where do we start..."

He realized Laura had vanished. "Laura?" He called as he looked around.

"Right here!" He spun around to see Laura walking toward him, dressed in a one-piece set of workman's overalls. Naturally, the overalls were pink with hearts running down the sides. She carried a toolbag in one hand, and a wad of clothing in the other, which she passed to Clawd.

"We don't want to ruin your clothes. Here, it's Papa's old things, they should fit you."

Clawd unfolded the clothing, revealing a pair of old jeans and a large black t-shirt with 'Real Vampires don't Sparkle' emblazoned on it. He stared at Laura's overalls again. "Wow... you really are serious about doing this."

"Darling, when am I ever not serious about something?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Clawd smirked cheekily. "Every time you ditch Study Howl to do something with me or the ghouls?"

Laura didn't reply, she simply reached into the toolbag and handed him a wrench with a smile. "Why don't you start by cleaning the sparkplugs, and I'll check the carburetor."

* * *

Several minutes passed as the two worked on the engine. Once Clawd had cleaned every single sparkplug, Laura had given him the task of checking the radiator while she changed the oil. She lay underneath the jacked-up car, searching for the oil pan.

Clawd looked down at her legs, which were sticking out from under the car. "You know, I'm amazed that in all the time we've known each other, you've never mentioned that you know all this."

"Well, you know me. I don't like to brag. And the subject's never come up until now." Laura replied, her voice muffled.

"But I've talked about cars loads of times. I subscribe to Monster Motoring monthly. You see me read it all the time."

"Clawd, just because I know how to fix a car doesn't mean I'm into them like you are. I think cars are neat and all, but I couldn't care less about things like superchargers, or racing, or dubs, whatever those are."

She extended an arm out. "Ooh, pass that tub over. I'm about to drain the oil."

Clawd gave her a small plastic tub, which she placed under the car. The sound of dripping liquid could be heard.

"Phew, that is mucky. I've got some cleaner oil in the garage." Laura pulled herself out from under the car, smudges of oil on her face, hands and overalls. Clawd helped her up.

"All I really care about is making sure my car works properly." She spoke. "Dad is totes serious about car maintenance. He told me I had to learn, after what happened last time..."

"What happened last time?" Clawd asked.

"Weeelll.." Laura flushed with embarrassment as she glanced at her roadster." This isn't the first car I've owned."

"You had another car?"

"Years ago. Decades, actually. It was an 1830s Hancock steam powered carriage." She smiled wistfully. "Oh, it was such a beautiful machine, and great for traveling from our castle and back. When I first saw one in the papers, I begged Papa to get me one for weeks. He finally relented and had one imported to Transylvania."

"So what happened to it?"

"Well, once I got it, I drove it practically every day for hours at a time. I gave my friends a lot of rides. And since I didn't bother looking after it, all that wear and tear started to build up. Then a couple of months later..."

* * *

_1831_

_"Papa! Papa!" Laura shrieked as she hiked up her skirts and ran toward the mansion. Her cries brought her father and Renfield out the front door._

_"Laura! What's wrong?" Father demanded._

_"It's the car! Something's wrong with it!" Laura pointed at the car she had hastily parked in the driveway._

_Dracula's jaw dropped. The once pristine machine was caked in mud, it's tires were ripped to shreds, and thick black smoke was emanating from under the hood._

_"Good God... what the devil did you do to it?!" Dracula asked._

_"I didn't do anything. It just started smoking." Laura retorted. "Well, alright, when the smoke started I thought I needed to get home quickly, so I took that shortcut. You know, the one with the jagged rocks and the big puddles?"_

_"Miss Laura.." Renfield spoke up. "Have you put any oil in the machine lately? I believe the manufacturer was quite insistent on putting some in regularly."_

_Laura bit her lip. "I may have forgotten..."_

_She cringed as her father gave her a dirty look. "But it's alright, I'm sure it can be fixed."_

_As if on cue, the car's engine suddenly exploded, setting the machine alight and casting black soot all over the Dracul family._

_Laura coughed as she waved the soot away. She nervously looked at her father and Renfield, covered in soot and glaring disapprovingly at her._

* * *

Laura frowned as she watched Clawd double over with laughter. "It's not funny! Dad grounded me for a month, and I spent most of it cleaning the soot off the mansion walls."

"Ha ha... sorry, sorry!" Clawd caught his breath. "And I thought I was bad."

"Well, anyway..." Laura continued. "After that, Papa forbade me from ever owning a car again, until I learned to look after one properly. After all that mess though, I was reluctant to really own another one. But then we moved to America, and after I saw how much better they were... well, I promised Papa that if I learned car maintenance, he'd consider getting me one for my birthday. And, well..." She glanced at her roadster with a small smile.

"Huh..." Clawd nodded. "Well, I'm certainly glad you stuck to it. Your car looks great."

"Well, I realize how important it is to me." Laura spoke softly, staring at him. "Sometimes you forget how special and important something, or someone is, especially when you've been around as long as I have. You get used to having it around, and you take it for granted. And if you don't look after it, you'll lose it. I know I forget that sometimes..."

She gave him a tender look, and he sensed that she wasn't talking about the car anymore.

"Yeah... we both forget to look after what we love sometimes..." He thought back to their relationship over the years, especially the more recent events and disagreements they had experienced. Arguments over being treated like a pet and being neglected over sports...

They were getting better though. Sometimes they messed up, but they always tried to talk about things. And at least she no longer threw balls to distract him from issues. Nowadays they only did that in the park, and just as a pastime.

"So..." Laura spoke up. "How's the radiator?"

Clawd blinked and looked at the radiator he'd been checking. "Oh... right. I think it needs a new air filter."

"I've got some spare in the back." Laura skipped back into the garage.

Clawd smiled as he watched her go.

* * *

The hours whiled on as they continued to take apart the engine, clean it, and reattach any loose parts. Thankfully for Clawd, the engine didn't need any new parts, save for a few small nuts and spares Laura kept in her father's garage. It was becoming more evident that the main problem was just a lack of cleaning gumming up the works. As they worked, they chatted happily, retelling various stories about their friends from the last few days.

By the time they had finally cleaned and re-affixed every part, the sun was low in the horizon. Clawd looked over the engine, amazed by how different it looked now all the grime was gone. It almost looked like a new car.

"Well, time to try this baby out." Laura declared. She tossed the keys to Clawd. "Give it a whirl."

Clawd sat inside and inserted the keys in the ignition. He kept his expectations low, doubting that even all that work would bring this junkheap to life...

The engine roared to life, causing him to jump in his seat. He laughed triumphantly.

"It's alive! It's ali... nah, that only works when Frankie does it." Laura cheered.

Clawd jumped out of the car and hugged her. "This is clawsome! I can't believe we did it!"

"I told you we could." Laura laughed. "We just needed to make the effort."

She looked up and noticed the dimming sky. "Oh, I wish we hadn't taken so long though. The nature reserve will be closed by now. We've totally missed our date."

"Hey, it's okay." Clawd assured. "I actually had a lot of fun today. It was nice to be able to do this together."

"Yeah, it was." Laura leaned up and kissed his cheek. "We should do it more often."

"Hmm.." Clawd leaned closer and touched his nose to hers. "Maybe we could watch the Undead 500 together, it starts next week."

Laura raised an eyebrow. "Hey, watch it. After all this, I've had enough of cars to last me for a while."

"Worth a shot.." Clawd sighed.

He turned back to the car. "Anyway... now that's we're running again, how about we take a drive to Gloom Beach instead? We can park up on the cliffs, have a nice moonlight picnic."

"Ooh, good idea." Laura smiled. "Just let me get changed..."

"You don't have to. It'll just be us up there." Clawd said, gazing over Laura's smudged overalls. "And I think you look pretty damn cute right now."

Laura giggled from the compliment. "Well, if you insist..."

Clawd opened the MusThing's side door to let Laura in, before he packed the picnic casket in the boot, took his seat and started the engine. For the first time in ages, the vintage car growled smoothly as he drove it down the driveway.

"Ahhh... love that sound." Clawd sighed.

Laura looked over her shoulder at the rear seats. "Oh Clawd, I think there's a problem with the back seat."

Clawd glanced behind him. "Really? It looks fine to me."

"No, I can definitely tell the springs look weakened. I think we need to test the seat to see how bad they are."

"Well, it can wait til tomorrow..."

"Actually, we could test it after our picnic." She leaned closer to him, speaking into his ear with a seductive tone. "I'm think we need to test those springs very.. very vigorously."

Clawd's ears pricked up at the suggestion in her voice. "Well... we've fixed everything else, but a little more... work under the hood wouldn't hurt."

Laura laughed and kissed him again.

The MusThing increased speed as it hit the main road and sped off into the sunset, trying to get to Gloom Beach just a little quicker. 

**END**


	2. A Game of Two Halves

Love Bites

By Toby Danger

Monster High is copyright of Mattel. All other characters mentioned are copyright of their original creators

This is a series of short fanfics, each one based on a certain Monster High couple. There will be various canon and non-canon couples featured. I'm planning for each story to be a little different from the romance stories we see so often in Monster High's webisodes and other media. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Frankie and Andy: A Game of Two Halves

_In which Frankie learns a new sport and Andy learns how great having a partner is._

* * *

There was a spring in Andy's step as he approached the large sign-up chart which had been posted outside the school locker rooms. He had been waiting for this moment ever since the scaremester started. The sign up for the school sports programs. For the first time in decades, he was finally going to get to play sports, something he had been denied during his childhood years.

The only question was, which team to join? He was tempted by the SKRM team and casketball team, he'd heard many tales about it from Deuce and Clawd. But he was apprehensive about playing inside an enclosed court. While he had better control over his transformative power these days, there was always the chance of an unintended loss of concentration. The last thing he wanted to do was bust through the roof and send it crashing down on the bleachers, or get trapped inside the catacombs.  
Which left the outdoor sports. Grimnastics, tennis and... batball! His eyes lit up at the sight of a batball sign up. It was just what he'd been hoping for.

"Hey Andy." He turned to see Frankie standing by him. She was also studying the chart, an anxious look on her face.

"Hey." He replied. "Are you signing up for sports too?"

"Not by choice." Frankie sighed. "I hadn't really planned on joining a team."

"Really?" Andy was surprised. Considering how many other activities around school Frankie volunteered for, he thought she would naturally want to join a team. "I thought you loved doing things in a group."

"I do, but I could never quite get into sports like I do everything else." She shrugged. "I don't know, they're always a little too complicated for me."

She stared at the chart again. "And I had fearleading and other things to do, so I gave up on sports. But now Coach Verizhe says me and the rest of the Fear Squad need to get our Physical Deaducation grades up, so we need to participate in a sports team."

Andy nodded in sympathy. "Well, it's not so bad. I can think of worse ways to earn a grade."

"I think I'd rather do double clawculus than get stuck playing a sport I hate."

"Well, which sports do you like?"

Frankie crossed her arms and stared at the chart with that intense, thoughtful expression he always thought looked cute. "I'm not sure. I don't really follow a lot of sports. I tried watching football with Dad once, but I found it boring. I can't swim in the pool without shocking everyone, I don't trust my limbs to stay attached during grimnastics, and I'm not sure I wanna play SKRM again. Once through that deathtrap was enough for me."

"How about batball? I was going to sign up." Andy indicated the name on the chart.

"Maybe... Clawdeen mentioned she was signing up. But I've never seen a batball game before though."

"Well, it's a really easy game to play. All you need to know is how to hit a ball with a bat and how to catch it." Andy spoke. "After that, you just need to pick up all the little nuances like bunting, wheel plays, sliding..."

Frankie looked at him, impressed. "Wow, you sound like you know a lot about this? Do you play batball?"

"I wish." Andy looked out into space, thinking back on his youth. "Before I ended up on Skull Shores, back when I lived in a city with my parents, I used to watch the normie baseball games in a small stadium nearby. I'd sneak in under the bleachers and watch them for hours. They were always so thrilling, and I wanted so badly to play it myself. But there were no other monsters around to play with, and I certainly couldn't join in with the human kids.."

"Aww.." Frankie spoke sympathetically.

"You know, back on the island, I actually tried to teach the Tiki's how to play batball once, using sticks and coconuts. To try to make friends with them."

"How did that go?"

He sighed. "They found it was more fun to hit the coconuts at trees... and me."

Frankie chuckled. "You poor thing.."

She returned to the chart and picked up the attached pen. "Well, it does sound fun, and easy... so what the heck." She signed her name.

"Great! You won't regret it." Andy signed his name under hers.

"I hope not. I already have trouble not falling apart during fearleading practice." Frankie rubbed her arm. "I really don't want to lose a limb trying to figure out batball."

Andy patted her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "You'll be fine. And hey, I have no idea how much the game's changed since I left civilization, so this will be a new experience for both of us."

Frankie's bolts sparked as an idea hit her. "Ooh! Since we're both pretty new to this, why don't we coach each other? You help me, and I'll help you out."

"Yeah, sounds good." Andy smiled. "I'm not sure if I'll be much help though."

"You've seen more batball in action than I have. I'm sure you'll be able to teach me a few things." Frankie grinned, now fully excited. "Just think, if we work hard enough, we might be able to actually make the official team."

* * *

At the sound of the crack of the bone bat striking the ball, Frankie looked up to see the ball flying through the air in her general direction.

"I got it! I got it!" She exclaimed, running backward so she could keep her eyes on the ball. As long as she kept moving and didn't trip up again, she'd actually catch it for once.  
Too busy focusing on the ball to concentrate on her surroundings, she crashed into the fence with enough force to detach her leg. She fell to the ground in a heap. She glanced up just in time to see the ball land before her face.

Sighing, she pulled herself into a seated position and pulled out her emergency sewing kit from her pocket. As she began re-attaching her leg, she thought back on the last few days of practice. So far her experience of batball was somewhat hit and miss, the misses mainly coming from her inability to catch the ball. She could ht the dang thing just fine, it was catching it while in the outfield she couldn't handle. She either missed the ball completely or fell over while trying to keep track of it, and she was starting to get sick of it. She didn't expect to be an expert or anything, but it would be nice to get through a game without completely failing...

As she finished sewing on her leg, she heard loud cries of pain in the distance.  
"Ow! Ow! Sunova... Gaaah!"

She looked over to see Andy on the batter's plate, hitting balls launched from a pitching machine manned by Coach Verizhe. Or at least, he was trying to. He seemed unable to hit the balls coming toward him, and was narrowly dodging left and right to avoid getting hit. His luck didn't last though, and one ball conked him on the head, sending him falling to the ground.

Frankie immediately rushed over and knelt down to check on him, pulling off his protective helmet. "Oh my ghoul, are you hurt?!"

Andy groaned and managed to give a weak smile. "Just my pride."

He sat up and stared ruefully at the pitching machine. "I don't get it. In the games I watched as a kid, the balls were never pitched that fast."

Coach Verizhe snorted. "Yeah, but those were normies playing. We monsters can throw the ball a hell of a lot faster and harder than they can." He patted the machine. "And this is just set to 'undead/phantom' speed. The vampires and werewolves out there can do even better."

Andy turned pale at the thought to trying to hit those pitches.

Verizhe spotted something at the far end of the field and scowled. "Euugh, Burns is setting fire to the balls again." He grabbed a large box full of batballs and set it next to the machine. "You carry on practicing while I sort him out."

He walked away, leaving Frankie to help Andy to his feet.

"So much for making the team." Andy sighed. "I knew I'd probably be a bit rusty, but I didn't think I'd be this bad."

"Hey, you're not terrible." Frankie patted his shoulder. "You're good in the outfield, and I've seen you pitch. You've got a really good arm."

She picked up one of the balls and glared at it. "At least you never drop them. I don't think I've caught one ball since we're started."

"Oh, everyone's a bit cack-handed when they start out."

"Right now I'm cack-everything! I would love to be just cack-handed. Maybe I'd catch a ball at least once." Frankie replied, sullen faced.

She looked to Andy. "How do you do it? Everyone else makes it look so easy."

Andy rubbed his chin, wondering how best to explain it to her. "Well, when I was practicing how to catch long balls, I realized that it's a bit like catching fish."

Frankie's eyebrows raised in confusion. "Jigga-wha?"

"When I first settled on Skull Shores, I had to learn how to gather my own food. Gathering fruit from trees, hunting boar, and catching fish from a stream with a spear." Andy explained, a faraway look in his eyes. "Learning how to fish was a pain at first. I was never able to spear anything, the fish were too quick for me. It took me a while before I realized I needed to anticipate where the fish were going, and strike them just as they passed rather than going for them directly. It's much easier to find something when you know where it's going."

Frankie looked out at the outfield thoughtfully. "I think I get it... I'm so busy keeping an eye on the ball, I can't concentrate on moving toward it. I need to guess where it's going to land and get there in time to catch it."

She slapped her forehead. "Ugh, how did I not figure that out? And I aced my last trigonometry test as well!"

"You're still learning the ropes. It happens." Andy picked up his bat. "How about I bat a few balls so you can practice catching."

"Great." Frankie picked up the balls and loaded them into the machine.

"Could you set the machine speed a little lower?" Andy asked. "I think I need to start a little slower and work my way up."

Frankie looked at the controls. "It only goes as slow as 'undead'."

"Seriously?!" Andy let out a frustrated sigh. "It'll take forever before I can even hit a ball toward you."

Frankie approached him. "Hey, don't sweat it. You're gonna hit those balls for sure, once I show you the Scary Murphy technique."

Who's she?"

"She was our Fearleading coach, back when we all went to her camp in Gloom Beach to train for the Mashional Fearleading championship."

Now it was Andy's turn to look confused. "How does fearleading help me swing a bat?"

"Scary Murphy made us do all these chores around camp like washing windows and cleaning the floor. By doing them repeatedly, we learned all the motions we needed for a new cheer routine. Perhaps you could do something similar so you can learn how to swing the bat faster."

"Sounds strange.. but I guess it's worth a shot." Andy took a few experimental swings. "This does remind me a little of when I used to cut down trees for firewood..."

"There you go!" Frankie returned to the machine and switched it on. "Just pretend you're hitting a tree with an axe, and you'll be hitting home runs in no time."

Feeling more confident, Andy returned to the plate and readied the bat. "Alright.. give it to me."

Frankie launched a ball from the machine... and winced as it hit Andy in the gut, doubling him over.

"Sorry!" She cried as he fell to the ground. "Maybe I should just pitch the ball myself...

* * *

Two weeks later...  
Andy had never imagined this would happen. While he and Frankie's batball skills had slightly improved in the last two weeks, he doubted that they would be considered good enough to be chosen for the actual team. And yet, they had both gotten picked, albeit as substitute players. And now, on the first match of the Inter-School tournament, Coach Verizhe had asked then to take the place of two players unable to attend.

For the first time since he'd started playing, he felt legitimately nervous. He could see hundreds of students and adults in the bleachers, all staring at the players... and him. All eyes expecting him to go out there and play a good game, when he had barely just mastered how to hit the ball at monster speeds. How would they react if he messed up? Memories of enraged Tikis screaming at him were beginning to resurface.

It didn't help that the opposing team from Silent Hill High were some of the most bizarre and imposing monsters he'd ever seen, even by the standards of Salem's townfolk. One of them, a huge muscular creature with a massive metal pyramid-shaped helmet on his head, was doing nothing but staring at their dugout in a menacing manner. He could feel the panic rising within in, that primal urge to run to safety and smash anything in his way...

He felt a hand on his shoulder, jolting him back to reality. He turned to see Frankie beside, staring at him with concern.

"You okay?" She asked.

He nodded, not wanting to worry her. "Yeah... just feeling a little nervous. First game and all."

She gave a warm smile. "Yeah, me too. Just remember, if it gets too much for you out there and you need to calm down, I'll be right here, okay?"

"You always are." He replied, smiling back. It was true, it seemed he could always count on her to back him up when times were tough. Knowing she was there was already making him feel a little braver.

"But I think I'll be alright. We've come this far, it would be a shame give up now." He got up and picked up his bat.

"Beast, you're up!" Coach Verizhe called. "We've got the bases loaded, so try and hit it as far as you can, give the others time to make a run."

"I'll do my best."

As he stepped out of the dugout, Frankie called to him.  
"Andy! Remember what we practiced! Just pretend you're cutting down a tree."

He glanced back and gave her a nod of acknowledgement, before he stepped out onto the plate.  
The monster with the pyramid helmet was pitching. Andy barely had time to wonder how this guy could see that that thing on his head before it threw a blisteringly fast ball at him. It flew past him before he could react.

"Strike one!" The umpire called.

He readied his bat for the next ball. He swung, but missed.

"Strike two!"

He could swear the pitcher was gloating at him behind that helmet. He was starting to get angry.  
He heard Frankie calling. "You can do it!"

As the pyramid head reared back for his final pitch, Andy recalled his training. He pictured a tree, like the ones on the island, and raised his bat as if it was an axe, ready to chop it down for firewood...

The ball was pitched. He swung. And this time, there was a deafening crack as he hit the ball.

It went flying through the air toward the bleachers, too high for any of the fielders to catch it. Andy was amazed that he had actually done it, he almost forgot to start running around the bases. Frankie's cheers joined with the rest of the team as all of Monster High's batters completed a full run of the bases.  
He noticed the pitcher actually lift up his helmet and stare at the sky, before he looked at Andy with disbelief.

Andy just grinned. "I chopped down a lot of trees as a kid." He called out in explanation. The pyramid head looked even more confused.

* * *

Andy's home run gave Monster High an early lead, but Silent Hill High were no slouches. Throughout the game, they managed to close the gap in their scores, Monster High only just keeping a few runs ahead.  
Finally, it came to the final inning, and Monster High were two points in the lead, with Silent Hill up to bat.

"We're almost there guys!" Coach Verizhe yelled to the team. "All we have to do is make sure they don't score any more runs. I want you guys on high alert. Catch every ball that comes your way! I want those creep's feet to never leave those bases!"

"We'll try but... that's a lot of feet, Coach." Heath spoke up, pointing at Silent Hill's current batter, a ghoul with a bizarre centipede like body with six arms and eight legs named Asphyxia.

Andy suddenly heard a strange sparking, hissing sound. He turned around to see Frankie, shivering while trying to surpress the sparks flying from her neck bolts."

"Are you okay?" He asked, alarmed. "You look worried."

Frankie put on a smile. Why would I be worried We're about to win. All we have to do is catch a few balls, which is the one thing I absolutely cannot do, and I'm probably going to mess up, and then we'll lose and everyone will laugh at me..." Frankie's shivering intensified as she babbled.

Andy held her shoulders. "Hey, relax. You've gotten really good at catching. And even if we don't win... it's just a game. It's not worth getting worked up over."

"I know, I know!" Frankie looked anguished, tears in her eyes. "It's just.. just.."

"You don't want to let everyone down." He finished. It was a trait he'd picked up on since joining Monster High. Frankie loved to help others, even at the expense of herself. She just couldn't stand the idea of making anyone unhappy, even if it was something beyond her control. That selfless attitude was something he admired, but also made him worry about her well being.

He closed the gap and held her in a gentle hug, causing her to gasp in surprise.  
"Don't worry about winning or losing, okay. As long as you just give it your all, you'll never let us down."

He looked down to see Frankie seemed more at ease. She genuinely smiled. "Thanks... I needed that."

Andy grinned. "Come on, let's knock em' dead."

* * *

Frankie stood in the outfield, her eyes focused on the batter's plate and the monsters setting up to bat. The intensity on her face was clear to see. She was going to catch any balls that came her way or un-die trying. Nothing was going to stop her  
She was beginning to get worried though, as balls flew in every direction except hers, and the monster Asphyxia was making her way around the bases. For a monster with such a long body, she was surprisingly fast.

Finally, Silent Hill had all the bases loaded. If her teammates didn't catch the next ball, Monster High was done for.

The last batter swung, and the ball went flying high in the air... right toward her! She broke into a run toward the rear of the field, guess from it's speed that it would end up there.

"Go for it Frankie!" She heard Andy yell out. It encouraged her to move even faster.

When she reached the border though, she looked up to see the ball was still high in the air, higher than she could jump. It would fly into the bleachers and give Silent Hill a home run. There was no way she could reach it.

Reach... She got an idea. She grabbed her right arm, the one wearing the glove, and wrenched it out of her shoulder. Then, with her left arm, she held it up as far as she could, using her mental control to move her detached arm ready to catch the ball.

The ball practically sailed into her waiting glove.

"OUT!" The umpire called, moments before Asphixia reached the home plate. The multi limbed ghouls surprised, then enraged as the umpire explained that since the catch was made with a gloved hand, it was still legal.

Frankie nearly fell to her knees in relief. The game was over, and they had prevented Silent Hill from scoring any runs. They had won.  
Moments later, the entire team was surrounding her, lifting her up over their shoulders and cheering for her.

She was elated. She then saw Andy standing at the back of the crowd, staring at her with a look of pride.  
She returned the look, giving him a thumbs up. This was as much his triumph as it was hers.

* * *

To celebrate their win, Coach Verizhe took the team to the Die-ner for a victory dinner.

"..And lets give a cheer to Frankie and Andy!" Verizhe raised his root beer toward the two, who were sitting together in a booth. "They may have been a bit hopeless during training, but they've developed into two fine players. I just know you two, and the rest of the team are gonna dominate the rest of the season."

"YEAH!" Everyone else raised their drinks and cheered.

Frankie blushed and shyly looked away, Andy just gave a nervous smile.

"Um.. thanks everyone." Andy called. "But really, it was all you guys..."

Frankie nudged him with her elbow. "Don't be so modest. It was thanks to those amazing home runs that we got in the lead in the first place."

Andy turned to her. "Anyone could have done that. You were the one who caught the final ball and saved the game."

"Yeah..." She smiled gratefully at him. "But I don't think I could have caught it without you helping me out in training."

"Hey, you helped me with my batting. I was just returning the favour."

"We make pretty good training partners, huh?"

"Yeah.." Andy smiled, thinking back to the fun... and occasional agony... they had experienced together during training.

Frankie looked at him with a hopeful expression. "I was thinking... maybe we could be partners for... other things besides batball."

Andy blinked. "Do you mean we could study together in Study Howl? Because that would be gr.."

He was silenced as Frankie, after checking to make sure no one was looking, leaned in and planted a small kiss on his lips.

When she reared back, he looked at her with utter surprise as she grinned coyly at him. "I'm thinking of another type of partnership. The special kind."

It took a moment for him to register when she was implying, but when he got it, the biggest smile he could muster crossed his face.  
He was tempted to kiss her there and then, but didn't want to make a scene with the rest of the team and Spectra nearby. Instead, he edged closer, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and held her close.

"I would love that.. partner." He murmured into her ear.

The slight spark from her bolts and her bright smile was all the answer he needed.

**END**


	3. You're the Inspiration

Love Bites

By Toby Danger

Monster High is copyright of Mattel. All other characters mentioned are copyright of their original creators

This will be a series of short fanfics, each one based on a certain Monster High couple. There will be various canon and non-canon couples featured. I'm planning for each story to be a little different from the romance stories we see so often in Monster High's webisodes and other media. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

_This one is a little different from my usual work, and the first time I've written for a asexual pairing. If you feel there are some things I could have improved, please comment and let me know._

* * *

Clawdeen and Catrine: You're the Inspiration

_In which Catrine finds artistic inspiration, and Clawdeen finds someone special to her.  
_

* * *

Weekday evenings at the Die-ner were usually fairly quiet. That, combined with unlimited coffee refills, made it an ideal place for Clawdeen to relax and get some drawing done. Sat in a corner table, she concentrated on sketching some designs she planned to make up in her Fashion Entrepreneurs club.

"Hey Clawdeen." She looked up to see Draculaura, still in her waitress dress having finished her shift. They exchanged greetings as Laura sat opposite her.

"So, Holt mentioned there's a live music night at the Dog and Groan tonight. Do you wanna come?"

Clawdeen thought about it. "Thanks, but I'll pass. I just wanna work on some designs tonight."

"As come on, it'll be fun. There's a good band there..." Her tone turned suggestive. "And it's a singles night. Plenty of hunky boys there..."

"So this is about hooking up?" Clawdeen frowned. "Now I definitely don't want to go."

"Oh come on!" Laura pleaded. "What's the harm in seeing if there are any good boyfriends out there for you. Or ghoulfriends, if... you know."

Clawdeen growled. Being pestered about boyfriends was bad enough, but now even her friend seemed to buy into that annoying rumour going around school that her lack of a boyfriend meant she was gay.

And she wasn't even sure if that was true or not.

"Look, I'm gonna tell you the same thing I said when you pulled that speed dating crap!" She raised her voice. "I am not interested! I don't want a boyfriend or a ghoulfriend. I am quite happy as I am, on my own, and I do not need to be set up. Alright?!"

Laura sat back, somewhat frightened. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

Clawdeen huffed and returned to her sketchbook. Laura looked at her forlornly.

"It's just... I worry about you. While me and the ghouls are out spending time with our guys, you're always left alone. It just doesn't feel right that you don't have anyone to be close with."

Clawdeen sighed. "I know you mean well Dee, but I'm fine, really. I'm not alone, I've got you and the ghouls and my family, and that's all I need.."

"But don't you want someone special? Someone who wants to be by your side always, who makes you feel loved, who you want to love back..."

"I do.." Clawdeen blurted out. She was silent as she tried to find the right words. "I wouldn't mind having someone I could share my life with... but... I don't want... what everyone else wants."

"What do you mean?"

"You know... the romantic, mushy stuff, the kissing, the dating, being attached by the hip to someone all the time. The... the sex stuff." She blushed. "I know you and the others love that kind of thing, but I don't. I just don't find it... stimulating, you know. I don't feel I want it."

Laura blinked, trying to understand. "You mean... you're asexual?"

"Maybe, I guess... all I know is, I don't want to do all that romantic stuff. I want..."

Clawdeen sighed and leaned against the table. "I don't know what I want."

Laura gently touched her hand. "I'm sorry... I didn't know.."

"It's alright..."

"Why don't you come with me to the pub anyway? We can still have fun, and I promise I won't even mention the word 'relationship'."

Clawdeen offered a small smile. "It's okay, really, I just want some alone time. You go have fun."

Laura was reluctant to leave, but Clawdeen assured her she would be okay, promising that she would call if she needed anything.  
With that, Laura left, leaving Clawdeen alone with her sketchbook and her thoughts. She glanced around the near empty die-ner and sighed.

She couldn't deny that Laura was partly right. She did get lonely sometimes, and felt a little left out with all her friends in close relationships with their boyfriends. She genuinely did want someone to be close to.  
But how could she find someone when she didn't feel attraction toward them like other ghouls? She could acknowledge that someone was beautiful or handsome, sure, but she didn't feel attracted or aroused by anyone. She just saw them as just another monster.

She'd always thought it was just because she was always focused on improving her fashion and design skills. But she'd come to realize that no one, not even the ridiculously attractive monsters in TV and film did anything for her.  
What was she meant to do with that? Did it mean there was something wrong with her? If she really wanted to have a boy - or ghoulfriend, she might as well consider that possibility - shouldn't she feel something for them?

She felt incredibly worried and frightened about these thoughts, so much so that she almost didn't notice the sound of a pencil scratching against paper behind her. She turned around to see what it was, and noticed Catrine DeMew at one of the other tables.  
She was drawing in a sketchbook, diverting her attention between the paper and Clawdeen. When she realized Clawdeen was staring at her, she gasped in alarm.

"Ah! Forgive me! I didn't mean to stare!" She hastily replied.

"It's okay... did you want something?" Clawdeen got up and approached her table.

Catrine looked embarrassed. "I am sorry. I just... wanted to draw you?"

Clawdeen was confused. Catrine shyly held up her sketchbook, revealing a sketchy pencil drawing of Clawdeen drawing in her own book." I saw you working, and I was captivated by how you looked. Your concentration, your intensity as you drew, your sense of calm... it was an arresting sight, and I felt compelled to draw it."

She looked into Clawdeen's eyes. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I'll destroy this if you want."

"No, wait!" Clawdeen raised her hands before Catrine ripped up the paper. "I wasn't creeped out, just a little surprised. Never had anyone draw me before." She looked at the sketch. "It looks nice."

"Thank you, but I have not finished it yet." Catrine replied, a little bolder. "If it's not a bother to you, I could continue working on it.."

"You need me to model for you?"

"Non, you can just carry on with what you were doing. Don't mind me."

"Alright.. just get my good side, okay?" She joked. Clawdeen took the seat opposite Catrine and resumed her sketching, while Catrine returned to her drawing.

For several minutes there was only the gentle sound of pencils against paper. Then Catrine spoke up. "I noticed you and Draculaura having a little, how you say, tiff earlier. Is everything all right between you two?"

"Yeah, it's just..." Clawdeen sighed. "She keeps trying to set me up with a boyfriend, even though I've made it clear I'm not looking for one."

"Ah, I know that feeling all too well." Catrine smiled in sympathy. "Back home, my father, he is constantly bringing round the sons of his work colleagues and trying to set up dates. He is always worrying I spend too much time alone."

"Uuugh, it's so annoying." Clawdeen threw up her hands. "Everyone assumes that just because I'm not spending time with a manster, I must be lonely and miserable. They can't just get that I'm perfectly happy doing my own thing."

"I concur." Catrine sighed. "It is not that I do not want a close companion sooner or later, but I find dating and romance more of a distraction than something enjoyable. I would rather work on art than expend precious time and effort trying to convince someone to like me."

"I know.. and then you both feel obligated to spend every single moment together or everyone thinks you're breaking up."

"That bit gets right up my fur. Why do people insist that one must never be apart from our partner for even a day, or your relationship is done for?"

"Like my brother and Draculaura, or Lagoona and Gil. I know those guys love each other, but I'm always joking that if they spent less time mooning over each other or moaning about their problems, they could probably do all their homework for a year."

The two shared a laugh over that.

Catrine shook her head. "It is sad that so many people think there is only one way to love another person. Love is like art, it can be interpreted in many ways."

"Or fashion. I'm always on about how you should use fashion to express how you feel." Clawdeen agreed. "But not everyone can think of different ways to express themselves. Or are too afraid or set in their ways to."

"Speaking of fashion... may I take a look at your designs?" Catrine asked.

Clawdeen held up her page of Scarisian-style outfits she had drawn, smiling as she watched delight wash over Catrine's face. "Boo-la-la, they are all so beautiful! Do you intend to make them into real dresses?"

"Thanks. I was planning to make one up for my Fashion Entrepreneurs club."

"Ah... I so wish I could own one of these dresses for real."

"Wait until I run my own store... unless.." An idea hit her. "I could make a dress for you."

Catrine gasped at the suggestion. "You would do that for me?!"

"Sure." Clawdeen shrugged. "I need a model to style the dress on anyway. If you're willing to meet me after school, I could have a dress done in your size in a few days or so."

"Oh that would be magnifique!" Catrine exclaimed giddily. "Oh, but I must pay you for this. How much would it cost?"

Clawdeen paused. She'd never charged anyone for a dress yet, and it seemed unfair to make Catrine pay big bucks for what was just a class project. She glanced at Catrine's sketchbook.

"Tell you what, if you finish that picture of me, I'll give you the dress in return. Think of it as a way for both of us to polish our skills."

"That is a marvelous idea!" Catrine gathered up her art supplies. "I must return to my studio at home. I promise you, I will put my all into this portrait. Perhaps we can meet up somewhere where you can pose for me.."

"Sure. Send me a text and we'll arrange something."

They shook hands, and Catrine dashed to pay for her coffee before she rushed out of the die-ner.  
Clawdeen shook her head as she watcher her leave, still a little surprised by what had transpired. She hadn't expected to be commissioned to make a dress, let alone in exchange for a portrait. But she was certainly looking forward to the challenge.

* * *

And so for the next few days, once school ended for the day, Clawdeen and Catrine would meet up in Monster High's attic to work on their projects. The large space, while still dusty, afforded them privacy and plenty of space for Clawdeen to set up a mannequin and table for her sewing machine, and Catrine her canvas and easel.

For an hour or so, they would diligently work, barely stopping or diverting their attention. Occasionally Clawdeen would ask Catrine to stand up and be measured for her dress, and Catrine would ask Clawdeen to put on a certain pose to get her portrait just right.  
And as they worked, they talked to each other.

* * *

"So your parents really didn't want you to take an art class?"

Catrine nodded sadly. "Oui, they caused quite a howling fit about it. And my determination to go only made them complain harder. In the end, I was forced to get a part time job at the local patisserie to pay for the classes myself. It was quite a stressful time. Even today, they still occasionally frown at me wanting to be an artist full time"

"Do you parents not like art?" Clawdeen asked.

"They like it, they just don't think it makes for a viable career." She sighed. "They mean well, they just want me to do well in life, and think that art doesn't pay as well as other careers."

"My parents are kinda the same." Clawdeen nodded. "I mean, they support me wanting to work in fashion, but they're always telling me and my sibs I should learn something else in case it falls through."

"They are right in that it can be a risky venture." Catrine replied. "But they do not understand that we don't do it solely for the money. We do it because we love to create, to task ourselves, to bring a bit of joy to others."

"Amen to that." Clawdeen agreed, grinning. "Though I'd be happy if I also made enough cash to buy my own mansion."

"I concur. I will need plenty of space to store all my paintings." Catrine chuckled.

* * *

As the days passed, Clawdeen grew ever more excited about meeting Catrine again. Spending time with her, it wasn't quite like how she spent time with her friends, gossiping and laughing and just having fun.

With Catrine it was more... intimate. There was no pressure to some up with interesting topics of conversation. They could just exchange a bit of small talk, spend long minutes in complete silence working on their projects, and she could still feel content.

Still, there were plenty of topics they were happy to discuss. Art and fashion, current events, the various chaos and harmony that ensued within their families. And of course, Clawdeen was only too happy to fill Catrine in on what she had missed out on before coming to America.

* * *

"Are you serious?!" Catrine stared at Clawdeen as the werewolf sewed some fabric together. "This evil genie trapped you all inside a lantern and replaced you with evil clones?"

"Yeah. Getting out was easy.. ish though. Whisp hadn't counted on us using our powers to get through her traps." Clawdeen frowned. "I'm just pissed that no one except Twyla recognized that they were talking to shadow clones."

"Well, they looked just like you. How could anyone tell?"

"How could anyone not tell? They all looked evil! Mine looked like a Hot Topic had vomited all over me! I do not understand how anyone could think I would willingly dress like that!" Clawdeen spat back, nearly messing up her stitches.

"From what you say, things were rather chaotic during this time. Perhaps everyone thought your sudden change was part of the lunacy."

"Maybe. I'm just glad we fixed everything and got rid of them before everyone adopted that faker's style."

Catrine sighed and looked at Clawdeen with admiration. "Amazing. Not only this, but getting trapped on a desert island, winning the SKRM tournament, actually sending Monatella Ghostier to the afterlife..."

"Hey, like I told the authorities, she did that all on her own."

"What I mean is... you have had such an exciting unlife. I wish I could have such adventures."

Clawdeen shook her head. "I could do with less excitement in my life to be honest. Considering how many times me and the ghouls have saved the school, I'm starting to think we're cursed or something..."

"But you have done so many incredible things... things that will be remembered for years to come. I wish I could do something like that." Catrine spoke sadly. "I worry sometimes, that I will pass through this life without some kind of major accomplishment to be proud off, either with my art or my personal life."

"Stick around this school long enough, you might get your chance to be a hero." Clawdeen smirked knowingly.

When she noticed Catrine's worried face however, she changed her tone. "You'll do something amazing one day, I know it. I've seen your art. One day you're gonna be up in some big fancy gallery, and everyone's going to know your name."

"You really think so?"

"I know so." Clawdeen grinned.

Catrine's face bore a wide, grateful smile. Clawdeen couldn't help but think she looked really pretty once she smiled...

"Speaking of art, how's the painting coming along? Can I see it?"

Catrine looked alarmed, and pulled the canvas closer to her. "Not yet. I do not let anyone see my art before it is finished. It is... my way."

Clawdeen shrugged and resumed her work. Her sense of anticipation over the painting though, was that much stronger.

* * *

At least, the weekend came. Clawdeen sewed on the last few sequins onto the skirt, before stepping back to admire her work. She had to admit, she'd really outdone herself on this one. She just hoped Catrine would like it.

"I'm finished." She called to the werecat. Catrine looked up from her canvas, startled.

"Oh, already? I mean... fantastic!"

Clawdeen presented the dress on it's mannequin. It was an elegant strapless dress, made of chiffon and silk, in a pale lavender colour which complemented Catrine's pale white coat perfectly, and accented with sparkly sequins.

Catrine gasped. "Oh my... it's incredible." She gently touched the fabric with her fingers. "I knew you were good, but I never imagined... You even made it in my favourite colours."

"Eh, it's no big deal. I just looked at your old paintings and guessed what shades and styles would suit you." Clawdeen replied humbly. But she could help but feel immense pride as she looked at Catrine's smiling face. Moments like this were why she wanted to be a designer.

"Okay, your turn."

Catrine suddenly looked nervous. "Ah, of course." She turned the canvas around to reveal the painting.

"Oh my God..." Clawdeen breathed. The painting depicted her at her table, carefully cutting fabric from a pattern. Even though the picture was in watercolours, Catrine had captured an incredible amount of detail in her expression. She could practically feel the confidence and determination the version of her on the canvas was radiating. She'd never seen herself look so intense.

"This... this is amazing!" She exclaimed, looking at Catrine. "I should have made two dresses, this is better than I ever imagined!"

Catrine was looking at her feet. "Thank you... I certainly enjoyed creating it."

Clawdeen noticed the sad tone in her voice. "What's the matter? I swear, I really do like it."

"I am sorry... I have been deceiving you." Catrine sounded genuinely distraught.

"Deceiving me how?"

"This picture... I finished it three days ago."

Clawdeen frowned, confused. "Three days ago? Why didn't you say so?"

"I know I should have... but I was enjoying myself so much. These past few days with you have been absolutely wonderful."

Catrine glanced away shyly. "I've never spent time with anyone like you before. You're funny, you're insightful, you're passionate about what you love, and I love just talking with you. I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible, but when I realized I'd finished the dress already, I pretended to still work on it, just to continue our sessions a little longer."

"Really?" Clawdeen was flattered, but still confused. "But you didn't have to do that. You're always welcome to hang out with me and the ghouls.."

"Non, not like that." Catrine responded. "I really want to spend time with you... and only you."

She blushed deeply and edged closer to Clawdeen. "I know this may sound strange to you, but this past week, I feel we have made a... bond, of some kind. I.. I.." She was really nervous now. "I... I really like you. I .. I don't mean romantically... you know we both don't like that. But I feel so close to you"

Clawdeen's jaw dropped. Was this happening? Was Catrine really admitting she had a crush on her?

As Catrine stared at her with watery eyes, waiting for her response, Clawdeen was unable to move. For the first time in what felt like forever, someone admitted to liking her as more as a friend. And it was a ghoul, no less. She suddenly felt terrified, unsure what to do next.  
But at the same time, it also felt right. Spending time with Catrine these last few days had not only been fun, but she had also felt incredibly happy and content just to work and talk with her. Far more than she'd ever felt with anyone she had met in the past. There was no pressure, no awkwardness, just two monsters drawing comfort from one another

And she wanted it to continue, to spend more time with her, to intimately talk about the things they loved together..  
She didn't know how to go about this. She'd never had a proper relationship, let alone a non-romantic one with another ghoul. But she'd never know if she didn't try.

She stepped closer and took Catrine's hand, looking into her eyes. "I really like you too. And I wanna do this again."

"You.. want to make another dress and portrait?" Catrine asked, unsure.

"No, I mean, I want to spend more time with you.. and only you." She paused, suddenly recalling her friends. "Though if you want to hang out with my friends as well, I'm cool with that."

Cartrine giggled. "I would be Fine with that, as long as we can still be alone sometimes."

"Maybe we should meet up somewhere so we can settle how we're going to do this."

"Oui, that would be best. The Coffin Bean is having a open mic night tomorrow, we could talk there and enjoy some music at the same time."

"Sounds perfect.." Clawdeen leaned forward, as if to give her a small kiss, but then stopped. Was that the right thing to do, considering they'd both discussed how they both felt uncomfortable with gestures like that?

She instead gave Catrine a big, warm hug, nuzzling her cheek slightly. Catrine seemed to understand the gesture, and nuzzled Clawdeen back.

"Whatever happens to us now, I think I'm going to enjoy it." She smiled.

"Mmm.. I think so too.." Clawdeen replied gently.

* * *

The next night, Clawdeen was brushing her hair, trying to get her curls to bounce just right. She knew Catrine wouldn't really care how she looked, but since it was their first 'date', it felt important to look smart.  
She had just finished when her iCoffin received a call from Laura.

"Hey ghoul!" Laura spoke cheerily. "Lagoona and Gil just invited us to join them to see the new Sylvester Skullone movie. Do you wanna come with us?"

"Sorry Dee, I gotta decline. I'm on a date tonight."

"Oh, that's fine... wait, a DATE?!" Laura nearly shrieked. "Holy Bram Stoker, is this for real?! Are you really on a date?!"

"Yep." Clawdeen replied proudly.

"Oh my... well, who is it?! Where are you going? Is this a serious or casual thing? Come on, delve already!"

Clawdeen shook her head. "Easy ghoul. I don't wanna tell you too much right now. There's a few things I need to explain to you and the ghouls in person. But..."

She looked over to the far wall, where her portrait was hanging. She smiled as she thought of the wonderful ghoul who had gone to such effort to create it, just for her.

"...I think I can say... I've finally found what I've always wanted."_  
_

**END**


End file.
